{"id":1374,"date":"2023-10-27T09:00:24","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T16:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/?p=1374"},"modified":"2025-03-19T03:07:01","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T10:07:01","slug":"how-to-go-private-on-twitter-to-protect-your-online-privacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/how-to-go-private-on-twitter-to-protect-your-online-privacy\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Go Private on Twitter To Protect Your Online Privacy?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Going viral for the wrong reasons can significantly impact your personal life. The backlash can affect your job opportunities and change people\u2019s perceptions about you. So, you want to ensure only people you know or trust can view your content on <a href=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/twitter-to-x-the-story-around-twitters-transition-to-x\/\">Twitter, now X<\/a>. Or, you prioritize privacy over everything else and want control over who sees your posts. Learning how to go private on Twitter is essential if this sounds like you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article is a handbook that guides you through how to make Twitter account private. It also discusses what happens to your account during and after this change. Continue reading to learn how to find your way around X or Twitter to protect your profile\u2019s privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-id=\"1375\" src=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3766218.jpg\" alt=\"Unseen person holding their smart phone while checking their privacy settings on the X platform, formerly Twitter.\n\" class=\"wp-image-1375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3766218.jpg 640w, https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3766218-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_75 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f25891824a6\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f25891824a6\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/how-to-go-private-on-twitter-to-protect-your-online-privacy\/#How_To_Change_Your_X_or_Twitter_Profile_From_Public_to_Private\" >How To Change Your X or Twitter Profile From Public to Private?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/how-to-go-private-on-twitter-to-protect-your-online-privacy\/#What_Happens_When_You_Make_Your_Twitter_Account_Private\" >What Happens When You Make Your Twitter Account Private?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/how-to-go-private-on-twitter-to-protect-your-online-privacy\/#What_Should_You_Do_After_Your_X_Account_Becomes_Private\" >What Should You Do After Your X Account Becomes Private?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/how-to-go-private-on-twitter-to-protect-your-online-privacy\/#Use_the_How_To_Go_Private_on_Twitter_Guide_To_Protect_Your_Account\" >Use the How To Go Private on Twitter Guide To Protect Your Account<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_To_Change_Your_X_or_Twitter_Profile_From_Public_to_Private\"><\/span>How To Change Your X or Twitter Profile From Public to Private?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After you create an account on X, formerly Twitter, the platform sets the visibility as public. This means any user can view your profile. People can see your post history when they open your account\u2019s page. It also shows your replies, tweets containing media and your likes. However, you may not want everyone to see your activity on the platform. Below is a guide explaining how to make your Twitter account private:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open Twitter, now X, for Android, iOS or the web.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Web users will see a navigation bar on the left side of the screen. This contains all the shortcuts to quickly access various sections of X or Twitter. Mobile app users, i.e., people on Android and iOS, must swipe right to bring out this menu.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you use X for the web, click <strong>More<\/strong> to open another menu. Select <strong>Settings and Support<\/strong> and open <strong>Settings and Privacy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The social media platform will take you to the main settings page. Open <strong>Privacy and Safety<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are several options on this page. Click on <strong>Audience, Media and Tagging<\/strong> under the <strong>Your X Activity<\/strong> section.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enable the settings option, <strong>Protect Your Posts<\/strong>. This controls whether your profile is public or private. When you enable it, your account becomes private.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The platform will ask you if you want to change your profile\u2019s visibility settings. Click the <strong>Protect My Account<\/strong> button in the popup to proceed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"630\" data-id=\"1376\" src=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-Settings-630x630-1.png\" alt=\"A screenshot from TweetDelete of a Twitter user enabling the Protect Your Posts setting on their account.\" class=\"wp-image-1376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-Settings-630x630-1.png 630w, https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-Settings-630x630-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-Settings-630x630-1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Happens_When_You_Make_Your_Twitter_Account_Private\"><\/span>What Happens When You Make Your Twitter Account Private?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you enable the <strong>Protect Your Posts<\/strong> setting, it will look like nothing is different. However, there is a dramatic shift, which may not be visible to you immediately. Here are some of the changes that will take place after you make Twitter account private:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Users will no longer be able to follow you after they come across your profile. They must send you a request if they need to become your follower. You will get a notification and can approve or deny these follower requests.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only people who follow you can see your posts after enabling the account protection feature. Your tweets won\u2019t appear in the feeds of non-followers. When people visit your profile, they won\u2019t see anything.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your Twitter profile will no longer appear in search results on X or any other search engine. However, your followers can still find you using the platform\u2019s search feature.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When you reply to another user\u2019s post, the comment is only visible to your followers. Non-followers won\u2019t see the reply. This is also true if the author of the post isn\u2019t a part of your follower list.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The repost button will no longer work for your posts. This means your followers won\u2019t be able to repost your tweets. Also, they can\u2019t use the quote post feature either.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any media you attach to your tweet or post is only visible to your followers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, these actions are still possible, even with a private Twitter account:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Although the media you attach is private, the same rules don\u2019t apply to the media links and other URLs. Anyone can view your media if a follower shares the URL.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your followers can take screenshots of your posts and share them.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your account or posts can appear on search engines if a third-party service can access your profile.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"630\" data-id=\"1377\" src=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-Protected-Post-630x630-1.png\" alt=\"A screenshot by TweetDelete of a non-follower visiting a profile using the Protect Your Posts feature.\" class=\"wp-image-1377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-Protected-Post-630x630-1.png 630w, https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-Protected-Post-630x630-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-Protected-Post-630x630-1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Should_You_Do_After_Your_X_Account_Becomes_Private\"><\/span>What Should You Do After Your X Account Becomes Private?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you publish another post, you need to do a bit of spring cleaning. This way, you will have complete control over who sees your post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go through your current followers list. If you come across any user who shouldn\u2019t have access to your posts, remove them from the follower list. Use the three-dot button next to the user\u2019s profile to find the setting to remove them. You can also go the extra step and block them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You should check if a third-party service can access your profile:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to the main settings page, i.e., via <strong>Settings and Support. <\/strong>Then open <strong>Settings and Privacy<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select <strong>Security and Account Access<\/strong> and navigate to the <strong>Apps and Sessions<\/strong> tab.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on <strong>Connected Apps<\/strong> to get a list of every third-party service with access to your profile.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review each app and revoke its permissions if necessary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alternatively, you can change your X password. This logs you out of all third-party services immediately.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Search for your account on a search engine or via X search. If your account or private tweets appear, you should report this to Twitter immediately. The platform will ask you for the following information:    <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Places where your account or posts are still visible. For instance, does it appear on Google Search?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether you use any third-party service for X or Twitter? If yes, you need to list all the applications with account access.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When did you become aware of this issue?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this information, the platform will review your application and take action. If your account or posts appear on Google Search, you must contact Google. As your account was public, some results containing your profile or its public tweets may appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"630\" data-id=\"1378\" src=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-630x630-1-1.png\" alt=\" TweetDelete\u2019s screenshot of a private profile on X or Twitter.\" class=\"wp-image-1378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-630x630-1-1.png 630w, https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-630x630-1-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/How-to-Go-Private-on-Twitter-630x630-1-1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_the_How_To_Go_Private_on_Twitter_Guide_To_Protect_Your_Account\"><\/span>Use the How To Go Private on Twitter Guide To Protect Your Account<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a Twitter private account account is a good practice as it can keep your profile safe. If bad actors can\u2019t see your account, it lowers the chances of becoming a victim of a cybercrime. Also, it safeguards your privacy, ensuring only people you know and trust can view your posts. Make sure you clean your follower and third-party app list. Otherwise, non-followers may be able to find your account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another way to protect your privacy on X or Twitter is to <a href=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/delete-tweets-by-date\/\">delete your old posts<\/a> from the platform. Keeping older content on your profile is risky, as anything you say can age poorly with time. This means people can misinterpret your tweets and come to the wrong conclusion. Rather than dealing with this situation in the future, you can prevent it from happening by deleting your posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TweetDelete offers powerful solutions to help maintain your reputation in the digital space. You can delete thousands of tweets with a few clicks instead of manually removing each one. There is an automation feature to also help with the clean-up. Set it up as per your requirements to delete unnecessary or irrelevant posts. The best part is that it doesn\u2019t leave any signs of you removing your posts. <a href=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/\">Combine TweetDelete<\/a> with our guide on how to go private on Twitter for ultimate privacy in the social media space!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Going viral for the wrong reasons can significantly impact your personal life. The backlash can affect your job opportunities and change people\u2019s perceptions about you. So, you want to ensure only people you know or trust can view your content on Twitter, now X. Or, you prioritize privacy over everything else and want control over &#8230; <a title=\"How To Go Private on Twitter To Protect Your Online Privacy?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/how-to-go-private-on-twitter-to-protect-your-online-privacy\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How To Go Private on Twitter To Protect Your Online Privacy?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1375,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[14,13],"class_list":["post-1374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-category_1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1374"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5247,"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1374\/revisions\/5247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1374"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tweetdelete.net\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}